Cancer research has entered a fundamentally new era. Genome sequencing transformed oncology over the last three decades, and artificial intelligence will accelerate that transformation across diagnosis, treatment, and drug discovery.
In the keynote address at the 10th Annual GW Cancer Center Scientific Retreat, "Beyond Bench and Bedside: Breaking Silos in Cancer Care," William G. Nelson, MD, PhD, DSc, director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, argued that the next decade could become the most transformative period yet in the fight against cancer.
“These are extraordinary times with opportunities and challenges that were unimaginable just a decade ago,” Nelson told researchers, clinicians, residents, and students gathered for the day-long event. “I believe we're going to make great progress against cancer.”
The annual retreat brings together members of the GW Cancer Center community to share research, foster collaboration across disciplines, and celebrate achievements in cancer science, clinical care, education, and community engagement.
In welcoming remarks, Julie Bauman, MD, MPH, the Dr. Cyrus Katzen Family Director of the GW Cancer Center and associate dean of cancer programs, reflected on the center’s continued growth in research, clinical innovation, and community partnerships. In one of her final appearances before leaving GW to become the inaugural chair and tenured professor of the Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix, Bauman described the cancer center’s year-long effort to strengthen collaboration across research programs. She highlighted redesigned meetings, expanded cross-disciplinary retreats, and efforts to break down traditional barriers between scientific and clinical teams.
“We have made meaningful progress … towards our mission and vision this year to drive transformational research, personalized therapy, family-centered care, and cancer policy in the United States Capital to create a cancer-free world,” Bauman told the audience.
She cited significant growth in cancer-focused research funding, expansion of team science initiatives, and several innovative collaborative research projects, as well as the opening of the GW Cancer Prevention and Wellness Center in Ward 8, which serves as a community-focused hub for cancer prevention, wellness programming, education, and engagement.
From Reading the Cancer Genome to Rewriting Cancer Care
In his keynote address, Nelson tackled a central question: How well are we doing against cancer?
His answer was overwhelmingly optimistic.
Since age-adjusted cancer mortality peaked in 1991, cancer outcomes in the United States have improved dramatically, he said. Citing American Cancer Society data, Nelson noted that five-year survival rates have increased substantially across many cancer types.
“You’re talking five-year survivals that outpace people who don't have any disease at all,” he said. “It's just absolutely remarkable.”
Nelson argued that oncology is undergoing a second technological revolution. The first was driven by genome sequencing, which transformed cancer from a disease defined primarily by anatomy into one understood through genes and molecular pathways.
Researchers can now read the genetic code of tumors from tissue biopsies, blood samples, and other bodily fluids in a matter of days and at a fraction of the cost required just a decade ago. Those advances have fueled new approaches to diagnosis, treatment selection, and disease monitoring.
The next revolution, Nelson argued, will be powered by artificial intelligence.
Although neural networks, deep learning, and large language models have existed for decades, recent advances in computing power and the rapid digitization of medicine have unlocked their potential.
“The technology that's poised to drive us even further is artificial intelligence,” he said.
As genomes, medical images, pathology slides, and patient records become digital, AI systems can analyze enormous volumes of information, uncover patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed, and help connect insights across disciplines.
“We’re turning medicine from an analog to a digital state,” Nelson said.
Pointing to emerging tools that help pathologists identify areas of concern on tissue slides and highlighting privacy-preserving approaches that allow institutions to collaborate while keeping patient data secure, Nelson reassured the audience that, “AI will augment physicians rather than replace them.”
He also described how precision medicine has transformed drug development. Instead of relying primarily on trial-and-error approaches, researchers increasingly design therapies to target specific molecular abnormalities and use biomarkers to determine whether those therapies are hitting their intended targets.
Looking ahead, Nelson predicted that AI will accelerate drug discovery, deepen understanding of complex biological processes such as epigenetics, and help researchers identify new therapeutic opportunities.
“We’re no longer giving the drug until there’s a maximum tolerated dose,” he said. “We use a molecular biomarker to see whether we're actually hitting the target.”
He also highlighted advances in immunotherapy, explaining that some cancer cells evade immune attack by sending what he called a “talk-to-the-hand” signal to the immune system. New therapies can interrupt those signals, allowing immune cells to recognize and attack tumors more effectively.
“Our business was supercharged by genome sequencing,” he said. “It's going to be even more so with AI.”
Talks and Trophies
Following the keynote, the day was divided up into a series of roundtables focusing on topics including collaborative science, the research funding landscape, and mentorship, as well as poster presentations. The sessions culminated in the panel Rising Voices in Research: Trainee Showcase. The panel featured some of the school’s top junior faculty members and PhD candidates discussing their recent research grants, including Tucker L.C. Pyle, MD, PhD, and Luis R. Rodriguez, PhD, who received American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant pilot awards.
Following the discussions, Bauman returned to the retreat’s central theme of collaboration for the annual awards presentations.
“What we learned today is that science does not occur in silos,” she said, highlighting the importance of engagement and persistence across disciplines.
Faculty Awards
Karina Lora, PhD, director of the Public Health Nutrition MPH Program in the Milken Institute School of Public Health, received the Community Impact Award for her commitment to community-engaged research and efforts to improve nutrition and cancer-prevention behaviors in underserved populations.
The Excellence in Clinical Science Award was presented to Vishal Patel, MD, associate professor of dermatology, for exceptional clinical care, original contributions to cancer research, and leadership in advancing cancer immunotherapy for patients with high-risk skin cancers.
Maho Shibata, PhD, associate professor of anatomy and cell biology, and Sherrie Wallington, PhD, associate center director for community outreach and engagement at the GW Cancer Center, shared the Award for Mentorship Excellence, which recognizes faculty members who inspire and support future leaders in cancer care, research, and education.
The Outstanding Scientist Award, which honors significant contributions in basic, clinical, translational, or population science, was shared by Ramin Asgary, MD, MPH, professor of global health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, and Paul Brindley, PhD, professor of microbiology, immunology, and tropical medicine. Asgary was recognized for his work in cancer screening, prevention, and care among underserved populations, while Brindley was honored for advancing understanding of infection-associated cancers.
Xindi Hu, DSc, assistant professor of environmental and occupational health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, received the 2026 Junior Faculty Research Award, which recognizes assistant professors who demonstrate exceptional achievement and promise in cancer research. Hu's work explores how environmental exposures, including PFAS in drinking water, influence cancer outcomes.
Poster Competition Winners
Population Science, Cancer Control and Health Disparities
1st: Cynthia Weinman
2nd: Timag Sherif
3rd: Jennifer Beckerman
Basic Sciences, Cancer Biology and Immunology
1st: Vera Mariani
2nd: Amber Douglass
3rd: Dipak Poria
Clinical and Translational Sciences, Clinical and Translational Oncology
1st: Lily Parker
2nd: Grace Lui
3rd: Elton VanNoy
